Your voice is needed – my experience as a NICE committee member
Dr Raja discusses the vital role frontline NHS colleagues have on our independent committees, and how you can get involved.
Dr Murugesan Raja
GP and quality standards advisory committee member
As a busy GP, I use NICE guidance on a daily basis. I joined a NICE committee to bring my frontline experience to NICE decision-making, enabling me to impact the population on a wider scale.
What motivated you to apply?
In my role, I regularly come across patients who are struggling with asthma-like symptoms. I’ve been eager to find better ways to diagnose the condition – making it quicker, easier and more accurate. This drive to improve asthma diagnosis led me to engage more deeply with NICE. I thought I could potentially make an even greater impact by helping to shape these guidelines from the inside. By becoming a NICE committee member, I hoped to influence positive change in asthma diagnosis and make a lasting difference to patient care across the UK.
How has your input influenced NICE recommendations?
I sat on the independent committee that developed NICE’s quality standard on treating tobacco dependence. Importantly, the committee carefully considers each member’s point of view. No opinion is dismissed. This leads to well-rounded outcomes. This level of inclusivity truly impressed me.
Our diverse group, comprising primary care practitioners, public health specialists and those with lived experience, engaged in informed discussions that ultimately shaped a comprehensive quality standard for best practice care.
One significant area where I made an impact was around equality and diversity. Tobacco addiction manifests in various forms, such as chewing tobacco, and shisha. Encouraging the committee to consider these often-overlooked forms of tobacco use helped to ensure a thorough and comprehensive final product.
What have you learned from being a committee member?
Being a NICE committee member has contributed so much to my continued professional development. It has deepened my appreciation of the critical importance of collaborative, evidence-based decision-making in improving patient care across the UK.
The process involved in creating NICE quality standards and guidelines is remarkably thorough. It involves extensive research, multiple reviews, and careful consideration of stakeholder feedback. This rigorous approach ensures that our final standards are robust and well-considered. It also helps ensure they are relevant and practical for frontline delivery.
Would you encourage NHS colleagues to join a NICE committee?
Go for it! As a NICE committee member, you’ll boost your professional development, expand your network and shape crucial recommendations before they’re published.
I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with diverse colleagues from across the health and care system. It’s been great to hear about their experiences and how my role in primary care and as a commissioner aligns with their work.
Being part of a NICE committee has been a profoundly enriching experience for me. To my health and social care colleagues, I would encourage you to get involved and use your voice to make a real difference to patient care.